RESEARCH

As I began to figure out what is going to make my boards connect, I may try to use my pictures in a collage way. An artist I have come across named Nancy Spero. She does a lot of different styles involving collage, such as changing the faces of portraits and messing around with images to rearrange them. However I am particularly fond of her contemporary style, using minimal imagery but collaging around the images to make a different story. This isn’t something I will be doing as I want a straight forward outlook on my brand and no mixed messages to. But to use elements of her collaging would be cool.

for example:With this piece I like the the repetition of the image. It almost directs the story with how the images are laid across the page. However although the images are repeated it doesn’t become a boring piece of work, the way in which colour has been put in to add life to the image. I like about both images how each section has a different element to it. This is something I can experiment with my work. It may not work, but it is different to just my idea of drawing on top of an image

Grant Brittian is a photographer I came across when looking at how skateboarding has been photographed throughout California and Santa Monica. Too set the scene of my brand I needed some inspiration from the style of the area. Grant Brittain photographs his friends for pleasure, to serious tuff for skate mags.

What I particularly like about some of his images is the colour. They are high contrast with a high exposure. He uses a mixture of cameras from polaroids to digital to film, which is something I had in mind. Although he is professional and is able to capture professional skaters mid air doing tricks, I am able to follow on from his style, from the area and colour scheme.

A few examples of his work.

The energy off his images is something I want to project into my project, a feeling of nostalgia and happiness. From personal experience looking back into my parents old photos I get to understand their happiness through a photo, through the colours and style of their era. Therefore I feel photography would play an important part into my brand to give off the vibe I intend.

I came across David Carson, a perfect artist to focus on for my skateboard designs. To me he appears as a vintage artist, with a retro style. He is perfect to take inspiration from as he is a person who grew up around the surfboarding culture, fromSouthernCalifornia, bestknowninthesurfworldforjarringbutnew and interesting 1991 redesignofSurfermagazine, and other surfing posters and designs. I have always been fond of Carson’s layering and collage designs, so when I saw his surf designs it made me eager to want to use his style within my project. I didn’t want to copy the ideal retro designs of bright bubbly writing and clipart versions of the 70’s, Iw anted to present my brand in a different style.

The idea of layering up images and drawings is something I want to focus on which is something demonstrated by Carson. An example of Some of David Carson work:

These two pieces of work really stood out to me as something which inspires me drawing wise. I personally like drawings which don’t follow the usual structure, and are quite linear, with not a realistic style. This is something Carson has achieved through these posters. I like the use of the collaging, which looks like stamps, along with paint and the use of the san serif type. These posters also achieve what I want colour wise, with the bright colours, which sets the age of the posters, which was around the 80’s.

Heres are some of David Carson’s Surf posters. Again it is clear that he has used collage to create the images. But what I paticullarly like is the use of real images, especially on the poster with the car. I love how it has been used in this sense, as it really gives off the sense of that retro style California nostalgic edge, which is something I want to also present. Again using bright colours to represent the retro feel.

1960 – “The Sixties”, as they are known in the popular culture, in some cases a nostalgic 10 years, describe the and revolution of the subculture in social norms about clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling; and in others disparaging to denounce the decade as one of irresponsible excess, flamboyance, and decay of social order. The decade was also labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the fall or relaxation of social taboos especially relating to racism and sexism that occurred during this time Moving onto 1970s as a “pivot of change” in world history focusing especially on the economic upheavals. Especially in the Western world where social progressive values began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and economic liberty of women, continued to grow. In the United Kingdom, the 1979 elections resulted in the victory of its Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, the first female British Prime Minister

These two decades to me are important to know about, especially with the mass change in society. Which I believe has an impact to my brand. As I look into the history of these two decades I can see the impact they have on my sport. Although we see California as this chilled Nostalgic place, it was impacted by the changes around the world. From viewing the documentary Dog Town and Z-boys, I can see from this the people of Santa Monica aimed to ignore the errors of the world and focus on their lives and making the most of it. However their attitudes reflected and contracted the world, almost setting an example. As the world was focusing on this revolution of the subculture in social norms, The people of DogTown have been living like this ever since.

I want to focus however on the rights of women. As Margret Thatcher became the first woman priminiser, which allowed women across the world to go crazy, giving them the rights they have wanted and feel more relaxed. For my project I want to give off this impression that now in 2017 women made this revolution through skating.From doing my research there isn’t any women aimed skating brands, so through my brand I want to transfer the nostalgic revolution into my brand.Looking into the style of general graphics and styles within this time period, the world was going through a retro style, with bright colours, shapes and a wave vibe.

One retro artist I have looked at is Verner Panton who uses pattern to express the psychedelic phase.

When designing my logo I would like to interpret the retro style into it, to give the audience a sense of the tine period my brand is inspired at. I think the use of basic shape and the primary colours works well together as it gives off a different vibe. Together they represent a easy simple life which is represents freedom and happiness. As I tried different designs for my wave within my logo design, I was struggling with what effect I wanted, I didn’t want something modern which has clearly been designed on a design programme I want the home made experimental look, which has been designed free hand, This style defiantly gives this approach off, which has given me more ideas how I want my logo to be styled.

I am basing my new brand from the genre of the 70’s. I am going include typography, imagery and the colour pallet at the time. From doing my research into the time period within California I have found the style I want to incorporate into my brand.

I looked into surf brands at the time, which give off this badge type look. From these logos I can take the simplicity of it, and how they state what they’re about from the imagery and shapes used. They also seem to state their name of the sport within their brand, often using location in the name too. The colour pallet contains primary colours and are bright and bold.

TYPOGRAPHY

Looking into the typography, it follows almost from my eye a wave curved flow. The typography is chunky flowing and curved. with a mixture of colour, with some adding a 3d effect, as if it is popping out of the imagery behind it.

I found a few fonts which i particularly like from the 70’s which were used on poster design and logo design.

The first Font being Zelek, designed in 1972 by Bronisław Zelek for Mecanorma.

I like this font as I feel as though it adds character too wherever its used. I like how there a different aspects to the font, and all different styles set a different vibe. I like Zelek boldline too use within my brand as it looks simple, but can tel the era from the funky curved style and space within the font. It could be useful when adding colour to the text.

If I was to add something more complex I would like to experiment with Zelek shade line, but again with it being in a small logo I don’t want to over complicate it, so I could use the same font but the different styles on my skateboard decks and advertisement posters.

Optex

Similar to Zelek, but a little thinner. Optex style shouts to me the 70’s something why i picked out this font. I like how where ever you put this type you can shape it to your own style, through colour and image that goes with it. I am a particular fan to little detail, and I think by adding the linear effect to the outside of the text adds that extra bit of originality. If I was to use this font within my brand I think it would allow my brand to be recognised and remeberable. It not to complex, the only problem I would find using this font is how I would have to stick to one colour. If I was to add multiple colour to it, it would become to much and wouldn’t given off the effect id want it too. Looking into the 70’s style brand type a lot of brands tend to add a 3D effect. Again this couldn’t be done with this font as it would over complicate it.

I picked this particular campaign as it shows off the simplicity of the type. With three primary colours it gives off a statement within the simplicity of it, that this is who they are and they want a straight forward approach. Looking at the surfing brands I feel as though this is the type of message they give off. With simple text which states their brand, the surfing brands do add imagery to support this.I believe that if I wanted a simple approach to my brand this would be the font to use. Its bold, but adds that curved 70;s style.

My ideal approach would of type would be something which can give off a 70’s vibe, so I would like the curved and chunky type. But want to incorporate a range of colour into my brand so need to stick to a simple but styled font. I may try designs which add different elements of my chosen three favourite fonts.

After trying to find Brand inspiration I found that their are a lot of quirky artists out there who are keen to create logos, I found some interesting artists which I would like to take inspiration from and some skateboardings brands which have an interesting story behind the and what inspires their brands.

Geoff McFetridge

Solitary Arts

Its not the brand which I am keen on, its his personal work. I like the colours he uses as it has that feel of vintage too it which I want to achieve through my own deck designs and logo creations. I also like the simplicity of his work, the shoft haps which are combined together to create these simply but effect repeated patterns.

I particularly like his hand drawn doodles. This is something I had in mind when creating my deck designs, I wanted to give off a hand made effect, which I believe can be achieved by pen on paper doodles. Another brand: Polar Skate Co, gives off this effect also, established in 2011 and based in Malmö Sweden. With different core skate values, clean and original design and art work, . Whether it’s the board graphics, clothing line, touring, video edits or even the soundtrack for the video, Pontus has a clear vision of what he wants Polar to be, and stand for. Successfully taking inspiration from 80’s and 90’s skating, photography, modern street skating, D.I.Y skate spot building or art and design.

Polar Skateboard art: 2015

G&S

Was one of the early surf companies that successfully crossed over into skateboarding and brought some funky surf designs in with it. I like the logo of this design as it looks pretty sketchy and not too well designed, another hand made sort of edge to it. The fact this brand started off as a surf company ties in perfectly with my aim as Im going to interpret this into my brand also. With it being such an original early brand, developed in 1959, I think its key to involve some of their style into my own brand.

CHRIS MILLER BORARD

I like the design of this board as it involves the two sports skateboarding and surfing in the image. The colours are bold and vintage, with a simplistic hand drawn design. A style which id like to try. Chris Miller usually does quite vicious designs involving skulls and monster, so I like the contrast of his own work in this. Its subtle and really hits the era of the brand.

RON CAMERON: CREATOR OF THE LOGO WILD THINGS SKATEING COMPANY.

I like the graffiti type of art involved in Ron Camerons work. When looking into the documentary Dog Town and Z boys, they present a lot of graffiti through out the film, therefore I thought it would be nice to look into artists with this style, as it mainly represents the graffiti tagging art within skateboarding.

Natas Kaupas

I like this Brand as it represents the town in which I will be originating my brand from. I represents the era of the sport. This artist was a skateboarder and his photography from this sport is the type of photography id like to achieve when taking my own photos.

Craig Stecyk

This logo succeeds in its simplicity. The text, the shape, the era it represents—there’s more going on here than the sum of its parts. Designed way before computers became the standard approach to logos, even more proof that original fonts and basic shapes can create a timeless logo that is solid and original.

This one represents skateboarding. Period. Thrasher isn’t just a magazine anymore, it became a legitimate brand long ago and most of that is thanks to this logo and what it stands for.

Brought to you by the original Craig Stecyk, this was one of the first logos I fell in love with in the early days. Simple lines, great shape and you could spray paint it on a wall in under 40 seconds with a little bit of practice. This icon is brilliant and was one of those designed when skateboarding culture didn’t take itself too seriously.

Another icon that draws immediate respect from skateboarders of all ages. Not only a very important company but a logo that captured the best part of skateboarding as it went from backyard pools and headed into the streets. Classic, tough and timeless—just like skateboarding itself. This is just one version of many rad styles of this logo, all equally well done. Its important for me to include this into my work as its from the documentary a main part of my inspiration and which I will be taking style from. The tagging logo stands out and is repeated around Southern California..

My initial inspiration came from the documentary, Dog Town and Z-Boys. I used this as it focusses on the birth of skateboarding, which is something that really interest me. In my previous projects i had concentrated on todays youth within the skate culture, and through my FMP I wanted to achieve the opposite.

The film focuses on the Zephyr Skate team, the first skate team originating form southern California. I chose this as a crucial piece of research as it gives me the full information in detail to how skateboard developed as a sport, how it became popular and what times were like during this time. It is also an opinion from people who lived during this time, who were apart of the team, which to me defines raw information and real information, rather than reading up on this subject and getting a 3rd person opinion.

Interestingly I found out that skateboarding developed from surfboarding, which is a quirky way in which I want to interpret into my own brand. From my brand i plan to give off a raid hand rendered effect, as within the begging o the sport it was all handmade boards made by Surf shop owners Jeff Ho.

This leads me onto my brand inspiration artist Shawn Stussy who had the same aim as myself, from growing up in California, he also expressed this through his own brand, now world wide: Stussy. However I don’t plan to copy him.

STUSSY

In 1980 Stüssy founded his eponymous brand Stüssy, which was originally surfer-style clothing, started with transferring surfboard graphics to T shirts and shorts.

Shawn Stussy who is the original and only designer of the brand is someone I’m going to use inspiration from when creating my work as it was one of the first brands in California and in the world to take on this original skateboarding culture, from surfboarding to skateboarding image.

This is an interview with Shawn Stussy which he tells how Stussy has developed as a brand. Since I am wanting to create my own brand I think it is important to see how he developed it and what audience he targeted.